-
Trauma-Responsive Care: Beyond Mental Health
In a disaster, the psychological “footprint” greatly exceeds the size of the medical “footprint” (J.M. Shultz, 2010). While much of the United States is focused on “reopening” and going back to in-person work, school, and social activities, with images in the news of joyous reunions of...
-
Facilitating Trauma-Informed Organizational Change: OASAS Trauma-Informed Care Champions
Last June of 2020, Arlene González-Sánchez, LMSW, Commissioner of the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) announced a partnership with the Institute on Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care (ITTIC) at the University at Buffalo School of Social Work. The goal of the...
-
How the COVID-19 Pandemic Underscores the Need for Trauma-Informed Care
A traumatic experience can have long-lasting effects on a person’s physical, mental and emotional health and well-being for decades afterwards; and the more traumatic events a person experiences, the more likely they’ll have significant medical and emotional problems. For the past 18...
-
Five Lessons Learned in National Trauma-Informed Care Training
Over decades of practice-informed research, clinical support, and advocacy, a gradual embrace of trauma-informed care as a fundamental component to quality health service delivery has emerged. Every patient has a story - a context, and a set of experiences- that impact their health and wellbeing,...
-
On Becoming Trauma-Informed: It Takes a Village
Healthcare and social service providers who aim to promote optimal health and wellness among the populations they serve cannot achieve their objectives unless they address the impact of traumatic life events (both past and recurring) on vulnerable individuals. The landmark Adverse Childhood...
-
Secondary Traumatic Stress: A Key Piece of the Conversation
The personal impact of being in the helping profession never crossed my mind when I was in graduate school on my way to becoming a social worker. My focus was on gleaning what I could from my professors and building what I hoped would be the most complete set of clinical skills. I was unaware at...
-
Housing and Mental Health Services Are Key to Recovering from Trauma
This article is part of a quarterly series giving voice to the perspectives of individuals with lived experiences as they share their opinions on a particular topic. The authors are served by Services for the UnderServed (S:US), a New York City-based nonprofit that is committed to giving every New...
-
Trauma-Informed Care in Community Mental Health Settings
Utilizing a trauma-informed approach in behavioral healthcare can potentially improve patients’ mental health and protect the well-being of providers. Integrating a trauma-informed approach, however, can seem overwhelming, as it requires resources, time, patience, and insight. Fortunately, the...
-
Championing a Hidden Health Crisis: Childhood Sexual Trauma
The contemporary English writer, Julian Barnes once wrote “Memories of childhood were the dreams that stayed with you after you woke.” Sadly so, for many children those memories of childhood are not laced with adjectives such as happy, trusting, innocent, precocious, fresh, sensitive, fanciful,...
-
ACES Are High: Transforming Systems of Care from Within
The concept of system transformation in behavioral health is one that has garnered much attention in recent years. In New York State, this often refers to the evolving iterations of Medicaid managed care and value-based payment. This transformation is focused on the “triple aim” of better care,...
